Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital nurses take part in special training

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Nurses and staff at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital are going through new training to help them better serve patients with autism, the training is specifically for PICU nurses.

Lighthouse Autism Center uses applied behavior analysis therapy.

It’s a way to better understand the behaviors of children living with autism – whether that’s physical behaviors or emotional or even sensory. The training is meant to help PICU nurses apply that understanding to patients who may come in the door.

It can already be difficult enough when a child is going through a health scare, a child with autism going through that same experience can be exponentially more difficult, not just for the patient but for the family and staff as well.

That’s why nurses like Carmen Reichard say it’s important they continue to learn.

“These courses are designed to give us the tools we need to do our job. It takes the individual going the extra step to go out and learn those different things and apply them. And you never know two years from now, I could be applying something I learned today or I could go in tomorrow and be applying them immediately. So, it is excellent we have these educational opportunities and we look forward to them every year,” said Reichard.

One of the biggest takeaways for nurses is how vital the patient’s family can be in the health care process. They know the things that will make the child most comfortable.

Also, having the understanding that sometimes protocol may not apply the same way when they are taking care of a patient with autism spectrum disorder.